C2 67 L79 Holley Replacement

[Chuck S.]

A friend bought a 67 roadster for a driver, and found it had a generic Holley replacement carb with a banjo fitting/hose barb on the inlet. The previous owner had run a rubber hose from the fuel pump to the carb. (It's a wonder more Corvettes don't burn up.)

Original L79 carburetors appear to have a front bowl with a large boss cast into it, angling down about 45 degrees, for the fuel line fitting. Is there any way to convert this carb to the original configuration to avoid using a rubber hose for the inlet fuel line, or alternately, using a short coupling hose to a factory-style steel line?

[William C.]

Re: C2 67 L79 Holley Replacement

Sure, just change the front bowl.

[Chuck S.]

Re: C2 67 L79 Holley Replacement

Uhmmm...OK, Bill, thanks. Let me focus the question a little better. Are the original style bowls interchangeable with those on the generic replacement carbs? Are the original style bowls readily available? Where do you find them, Holley or... ? Do they cost too much to make this project worthwhile? I'm a shark Rochester guy...don't know nuthin' 'bout no Holley.

[Joe L.]

Re: C2 67 L79 Holley Replacement

Chuck and Bill-----

I agree. Changing the front bowl should be "do-able". However, changing the bowl is the easy part. FINDING the bowl is the hard part. The bowl used for 1967 Corvette Holley 4 barrel applications is unique to 1967 Corvettes. The original GM part number for this bowl was GM #3912074. That part was discontinued in May, 1969 and replaced by GM #3966917. The latter part was discontinued from SERVICE in March, 1978.

This particular carburetor was reproduced by Holley until several years ago. Whether they still have an inventory of the primary fuel bowl, I don't know. I think that you would have to contact them on this. If they have it, a Holley parts dealer could order it for you. Whether another similarly configured fuel bowl exists that would work for the application and be a direct fit with the stock fuel line, I do not know.

Incidentally, the rubber fuel line, properly installed and supported, is not necessarily a dangerous thing. If it was, Holley would not use the barb-style inlet fitting on carburetors and "encourage" such installations. Obviously, it's not a "correct" sort of thing but it's functional and, installed properly, safe. I would use only Viton, "fuel injection-type" hose, though. Another alternative would be to change the inlet fitting on the carb to the style that accepts a compression-type, flared fitting. I would think that these would be available from Holley. Then, you'd ned to make up a custom fuel line from steel tubing. Not that big of a deal to do with the right tools.

[Wayne W.]

Re: C2 67 L79 Holley Replacement

I had a customer check for one at Holley today. No luck. They said that the you could get a generic one, but it is not like the original. Almost all of the Holley bowls will bolt up to the carb. but there are differences in the details. So yes you could change the bowl, if you can find one.

[john daly]

Re: C2 67 L79 Holley Replacement

I purchased a front bowl for a Holley 3810 from Chicago Corvette Supply a few years ago. I'm not sure if they still have them

[G B.]

Holley front bowls

Holley made at least three front bowls that will accept a stock '67 Corvette steel fuel line and also bolt up to this carb without modification. I don't know which one you want/need:
1. '66-style with external float adjustment and small top vent hole.
2. '67-style with internal float adjustment and small top vent hole.
3. Mopar-style with internal float adjustment and medium top vent hole.

All three of the above are readily available as NOS bare castings from parts vendors (but not Holley). Prices range from $30 to $45 each plus shipping. If your friend decides to get serious about this conversion, he can call me for more info. My top secret phone number is in my profile and the phone book.

In his shoes I would just buy an NOS 3810 Holley for $600 plus shipping and eBay the old carburetor for $100. However, if his current carb is actually working properly, it may be against eBay rules to sell it on-line. I think all used carburetors sold on eBay have to be hopeless pieces of crap.

[John H.]

Re: Holley front bowls

Sounds like a humorless old man to me

[Gerard F.]

Re: C2 67 L79 Holley Replacement

Chuck,
I'm working on a replacement 3810 for 67 327/300HP (same original carb for an L-79)with a cracked primary fuel bowl and have spent a lot of time finding the fuel bowl you are talking about. I found that Holley discontinued the "End Inlet Moraine Filter Bowl" some years ago, although NOS and used one's are still around. The same Holley Part No. was used on all 67 3800 series carburetor's for Corvette, Chevelle and Camaros, I even found one on a 3918 which would work (slightly larger vent hole on top).

I finally scored a brand new one from the "carbguy" on ebay for about $50.

However, I'm restoring a 3810 for originality, and the fuel bowls on a 3810 have non-externally adjustible floats and no sight hole and plug on the side.(What a pain in the neck to adjust) If you are looking for an "end inlet moraine filter bowl" with externally adjustible floats for a driver, you might look for 66 and prior Holley fuel bowls for Corvettes and Chevelles. A 3367 is one, and there are probable many others.

www.batteryignition.com is another source. They got me an original primary metering block for a 3810.

Good luck,

Jerry Fuccillo
#42179

[Gerard F.]

Also, vent hole

You may have to plug the vent hole and put a screw in the vent lever mount to use the moraine filter bowl on a generic Holley replacement, unless your generic has a vent hole and lever. I believe they did away with the vented bowl in the 70's due to air pollution concerns.

Jerry Fuccillo

[Chuck S.]

Re: Also, vent hole

Thanks for the tip, Jerry. I don't recall seeing a vent hole or lever on the top of the bowl; only a ~7/16" brass stop nut with a screwdriver slotted plug that was about flush with the top of the nut. I assumed it was for external float level adjustment.